


7K Ship Week 2021

by Kayy_artsy



Category: Varian and the Seven Kingdoms, tangled the series
Genre: 7K Ship Week 2021 (Disney: Varian and the Seven Kingdoms), Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Amberuru, Art, Brief Mentions of Blood, Dragon Prince AU, F/F, Hugo is best boyfriend, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, M/M, Minor Swearing, Modern AU, Moon Powers Varian (Disney), Nightmares, Only a little bit of Amberuru, Prince Varian au, Varian Gets a Hug (Disney), Varian gets homesick, Varigo - Freeform, Yong is amazing, brief mentions of violence, more Varigo than anything else
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:40:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29476380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kayy_artsy/pseuds/Kayy_artsy
Summary: So excited to do these prompts! Tags are subject to change because I haven't written it all out yet so not even I know what's coming!(Not all chapters will be fics, some will be art drawn by me!)
Relationships: Amber/Nuru (Disney: Varian and the Seven Kingdoms), Hugo/Varian (Disney: Varian and the Seven Kingdoms)
Comments: 38
Kudos: 46





	1. Day 1: nightmare/comfort/protection

**Author's Note:**

> It's my first time doing a prompt week! Let's do this!
> 
> TW: brief mentions of blood and violence

_Varian ran. He didn't know why just that he had to keep going. An endless amount of shelved books flew past him. They never ended. Just an eternal hall of books. He supposed that's why they call it the Eternal Library._

_Suddenly, the form of Ulla appeared in front of him and he came to a screeching halt. His mom was nearly unrecognizable. Her long red hair was disheveled and flowing around her, as if she were underwater. Her eyes were glowing a bright turquoise with magic. The long skirt of her dress flowing around her ankles like it was being blown continuously in large gusts of wind coming from multiple directions. An unnaturally large smile on her face, as if nothing was wrong with what she intended to do to her own son. The sight was unsettling._

_She reached a hand out towards him. He instinctively attempted to step backwards, away from her, but was horrified to find that he could no longer move. He was stuck to the spot, like he was caught in his own pink goo. As her hand got closer he felt dread continue to increase in his gut._

_When her hand grabbed his wrist, his vision became filled with a turquoise light. He could feel something happening to him. A sharp pain ran through his entire body, leaving him gasping. The next thing he knew he was surrounded in darkness. Voices echoed in his head._

_**Traitor!** _

_**Monster!** _

_**This what you deserve!** _

_**You'll never be good enough!** _

_Varian?_

_Varian!_

_I love you!_

_That voice. It was different from all the others. Hugo's voice!_

_He opened his eyes and saw Hugo, bloodied and beaten, on the ground in front of him._

_He felt his leg pull back against his will, posed to strike. He couldn't stop himself! He had no control over his own body! It was like there was someone else making him move and do things he never wanted to!_

_"Varian, please! I love you so much! I'm so sorry!"_

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Varian let out a strangled cry as he sat up in bed.

He was in his room in Corona castle. He was home.

He brought his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them as he started to cry. It had been a month and a half since they'd found the Eternal Library but the nightmares just wouldn't stop. They plagued him and Hugo both.

At that moment a voice sounded next to him.

"Hummingbird? You ok? Var?"

Hugo. He was there with him. They were both safe.

Seeing the state the younger boy was in, Hugo shifted on the bed so that he was sitting up next to his boyfriend. He gently rubbed Varian's back, his soft nightshirt bunching up slightly around his hand. His hiccuping sobs filled the dark room.

They didn't know how long they sat like that but it didn't matter. Hugo just wanted to make sure Varian was alright.

"I'm- I'm sorry I woke you up." Varian apologized once his tears started to slow.

Hugo didn't even hesitate before answering, "Don't be. We'll get through this together!" He paused to wipe away Varian's tears before continuing. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really. It's pretty much the same as all the others."

After a few minutes, they both laid back down. There was silence as Hugo started to drift off to sleep once more.

His eyes were slipping closed when he felt an odd weight on his chest. Looking down revealed Varian's head of messy black hair resting on Hugo. This was something that they hadn't done since the library incident.

"Is- is this okay?" Varian asked softly.

"Yeah. Yeah, this is okay." Hugo responded

They'd started this relationship back during their journey. When it was revealed that Hugo had been working for Donella, Varian was crushed. But after the whole thing with Ulla in the library, and Hugo coming to save him, the two boys talked and decided to continue with their relationship. Just to take it a little slower and backtrack a bit. They'd been sleeping in different beds until about a week ago, when Varian had told him he was ready.

Hugo lightly wrapped his arms around Varian's waist. "How about this? Is this good?"

He felt Varian nod, "Yeah."

"Varian? I love you."

"I love you too, Babe." 

Varian snuggled into his side more as one of Hugo's hands went to his inky black hair, gently running his fingers through it. His hand eventually found his bangs. He lightly twirled the blue strands around his finger.

It felt incredible. Varian sighed, visibly relaxing even more. They loved these little moments between them. The feeling of soft hair on the other's palm, the closeness of cuddling, sleeping together.

Hugo waited until Varian's breathing deepened to go back to sleep. Needless to say, neither one had any more nightmares that night.


	2. Day 2: Rainbow (Pride)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy a pic of the girls!


	3. Day 3: Found Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian gets homesick during 7k. That's all I can say without spoiling too much. Enjoy!

It had been another normal day of travel for the gang. Nothing out of the ordinary. After night fell and the four gathered around the campfire. Yong started talking about his family's traditions for the Chinese New Year. It was coming up and he was excited to share all his favorite traditions with his new siblings. Back home he would help his older brother with the fireworks, make lanterns to hang around the house with his little sisters, and cook traditional Chinese desserts with his moms.

Varian was listening intently to his little brother talk about his home and it was then that he got a weird feeling in his stomach. He wasn't really sure what it was but it had been showing up frequently since they left his family in the Dark Kingdom a few days ago.

It was almost like a deep longing. He realized with a start that he's homesick. He missed his dad, Eugene, Rapunzel, the apple orchard, his lab, his home. It'd been months since he'd left to go on this journey. He'd never been away from home this long before. A voice next to him snapped him out of his thoughts.

"V? Are you ok? You got really quiet there for a second." Nuru asked.

"Yeah I just- I just really miss home." He wrapped his arms around his stomach and looked down at the forest floor as he spoke.

Yong bolted up out of his seat on the ground, racing over to Varian to wrap him in a hug. It was a little awkward with Varian still sitting down but it was sweet. One at a time Nuru and Hugo joined in. Soon Varian was in the center of a group hug from his best friends and boyfriend. Nuru rubbed his back while her head rested on his shoulder, while Yong squeezed him tightly but not uncomfortably, and Hugo had his arms around Var's slender waist and pressed soft kisses to his temple, making Var's face tint pink. They'd only gotten together recently and he wasn't used to being kissed yet. After a little while longer they broke the hug, just sitting there together.

"Does Corona have any holidays around this time of year?" Yong asked softly, almost afraid to break the comfortable silence surrounding them.

Varian laughed lightly. "Yeah. In Corona we have the Day of Hearts."

"How do you celebrate?" Nuru asked.

"It's mostly a holiday for couples so I've never actually had the full experience like others have. But it's in memory of when the kingdoms of Corona and Saporia were joined together by their rulers' love for each other and every year couples sign the book of hearts. Like I said it's mostly for couples and I've never been in a relationship before now." He looked over at Hugo at the last part giving him a small smile.

Hugo gave a rare genuine smile back.

"But my dad and I always take the day off from working so we can spend it together. We go on a picnic and bake my mom's cookies and just spend time with each other. What about you Nuru? Any holidays going on soon in Koto?"

"Well, we do have the Festival of Stars. There's a masquerade ball hosted in the castle gardens, and flower crowns made out of a specific type of flowers that only grow in Koto. Some people have this weird superstition that if you wear a specific color of flower crown that's really rare to the ball you'll find love there, but I don't believe that."

"Cool!" Yong turned to Hugo. "What about Ingvar? You've gotta celebrate something too right?"

"Well, sure but it's mostly for the royalty and nobles. People like me who grew up on the streets don't have money to spend on that stuff. Plus it's also pretty lovey-dovey so I've never had a reason to celebrate it even if I could." Hugo explained a little bluntly.

"Oh, yeah." Yong rubbed the back of his neck a little embarrassed for bringing it up.

"Well, maybe you could just tell us the traditions?" Varian asked, eager to learn more about where Hugo came from.

Hugo shrugged. "The more wealthy families buy each other expensive trinkets and overpriced sweets and flowers. That's pretty much it."

"Feeling any better V?" Yong wondered aloud.

"A little." The older boy admitted. "I think I'm gonna turn in for the night. Wake me up for the second watch."

"Ok. Good night Varian." Nuru said.

The other three sat there for a while in silence. They all wanted to help Varian but weren't sure how.

"I've got it!" Yong exclaimed. "What if we all combined our traditions somehow to celebrate all of our holidays at once? Maybe it'll show Varian how much we all care about him!"

"That's a good idea Yong!" Nuru encouraged.

"I guess we've got some work to do." Hugo grinned.

~-~-~-~-~-~

The next day, Varian was slightly confused when the others decided to go to town without him. They said that they needed someone to watch the camp but that had never been a problem before. Oh well, it was probably nothing. If he was going to be alone with Ruddiger for a few hours he might as well get some work done on his current alchemy project.

The longer he's alone the harder the homesickness is to ignore. By the time the others come back he's on the verge of tears, small droplets gathering in his eyes.

"Hey, Hairstripe! We're back!" Hugo cheerily called, approaching his boyfriend from behind. He'd been sent by the others to make sure Var didn't see the surprise before they were ready.

When Varian didn't turn to face him he wrapped his arms around the ravenette's waist. The other's silence was unnerving though.

"Bluebird?"

Nothing.

"Vari? What's wrong?"

Only then did he notice the other's shoulders were slightly trembling. He's crying! Hugo had never seen Varian cry before. He honestly wasn't sure what to do to help him.

"Varian? Come on. Please, look at me."

When his boyfriend didn't do anything to show he'd even heard him he placed his pale hand under the other's chin, turning his head towards him. Unfortunately, Hugo's suspicions were proved correct. Varian's eyes were screwed shut, tears dripping down his cheeks silently.

"Oh, Var. Please don't cry."

He turned him so they were facing each other. Gently wiping the wet tracks off of the younger's face with his thumbs. They just sat there together until Varian's tears slowed to a stop.

"I know it's not the same as back home but we have a little surprise for you."

"For- for me?" He looked genuinely surprised.

"Yeah, come on I bet it's ready by now."

Slowly, they made their way over to where Nuru and Yong were setting up by the nearby river. When he saw the scene, Varian gasped. Paper lanterns were strung up between the trees, a few of the traditional Chinese desserts Yong had described before were laid out on their pots and pans, and Nuru and Yong stood there in front of it.

Both of them were wearing flower crowns. Nuru's was made of asters, and Yong had a circlet of carnations sitting on his head. In each of their hands was another crown. Nuru handed Varian one made of blue morning glories. Meanwhile, Yong handed Hugo a white daisy crown. They obviously weren't made of Koto's native flowers but they were beautiful regardless.

"What is all of this?" Varian asked.

"We know how upset you are about being homesick so we thought we'd make our own traditions together!" Nuru explained. "It was Yong's idea."

"Yeah! I just wish we were able to add a tradition from Corona since that's where you're from but we did our best."

Varian felt his face lift up in a small smile. "It's amazing. Thanks guys. I'm glad I get to learn more about where you're from." He said, placing the flowers on his head.

"I showed Nuru how to make those treats I was talking about before! Come try some!" Yong said, walking towards the food.

Varian was about to follow when he felt someone tap his shoulder. When he turned to face them he came face to face with Hugo holding a small bundle of flowers in one hand, he rubbed the back of his neck with the other, a small blush on his cheeks.

"These are for you! I guess I just wanted to do something special for you too and I don't know why but this came to mind and I just…. I'm rambling aren't I?"

"A little bit. But I think it's cute." Varian was blushing too now.

The rest of the day was spent talking about their home kingdoms and their families. Varian couldn't help but notice Hugo was unusually silent for most of the conversation, but he couldn't blame him. He knew that he'd had a rough childhood. There probably wasn't much from his past he liked to reminisce about. That was fine. Varian was just glad to have them all in his life.

This. This moment. It made that pit of longing shrink a little bit. But that small decrease in size made a big difference. He may have a home in Corona but this also felt like home in a way too. These three other teenagers - regardless of the fact he'd only known them for several months - were family to him. It helped him feel so much better to realize this. He has a home with them too.


	4. Day 4: General AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a little thing based off of my Prince Varian au where Varian is the prince of the Dark Kingdom. I just thought this would be a cool way to introduce it to you guys! Please enjoy!

Varian stood perfectly posed in the ballroom. He knew how to act during these events. It'd been drilled into him since he was just a little kid. His hands regally kept behind his back and standing straight. People talking and the music of the orchestra filled the large room. His blue eyes scanning the crowd for that familiar blond undercut and ponytail.

He felt a tap on his shoulder. When he turned to see who was trying to get his attention he came face to face with a familiar smirk and emerald green eyes.

"Looking for someone, your highness?" Hugo asked.

"You know you don't have to call me that, right?"

"Yeah, I know, but you didn't answer my question. Were you looking for me? You're so sweet."

"Wha? No!" _Yes_. His face was warming up and he knew immediately that he was blushing. "I just…." He couldn't think of an excuse. His hands came down to rest by his sides.

"Well, um, that's too bad because I was kinda looking for you too. Do you…. Wanna dance? With me, I mean."

"Oh, uh." Varian wasn't sure what to say. Of course he wanted to but he had this weird butterfly feeling in his stomach. Was this what it felt like to have a crush? Did he have a crush on Hugo Becker? He'd been so sheltered his entire life that he wasn't even sure. He couldn't exactly blame his parents for keeping him in the castle all his life. They did have a valid reason.

"It's- it's fine if you don't want to."

_Oh crud! He'd been quiet too long hadn't he?_

"No! I- I mean, yes. I'd love to dance with you!"

"Oh ok. Cool."

When Hugo offered his hand to him though he hesitated for a second. Even with his gloves on he wasn't used to people touching his hands. That was another thing that was drilled into him. After taking a deep breath he took Hugo's extended hand in his own.

Together they walked over to the dance floor. By the time they get there a new song has just started. Varian's breath catches in his throat when Hugo pulls him close and places his unoccupied hand on Varian's waist and they start dancing together. They don't talk much while they dance, but the entire time both have thoughts about the other racing through their heads.

_Wow! He's really close to me! Have I always been this close to someone when I dance with them? How on Earth is someone so handsome dancing with me right now?_

_Look at him! He's perfect! His freckles and bright blue eyes, and kind, loving personality. He's so beautiful!_

When the song comes to a stop and they pull away from each other, Hugo notices that Varian is messing with his gloves.

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen you without your gloves on. They don't look very comfortable."

"They're not. I- I mean." Varian hadn't been thinking about his answer at first and only after it'd come out did he realize his mistake. He knows that he shouldn't complain about it but it was the truth. What should he say?

"Um, I- I need some air." He speedwalked towards the castle gardens doors.

"Varian, wait! Was it something I said?" Hugo asked as he quickly followed him outside.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Varian could hear Hugo calling after him but kept going anyways. He didn't want to ignore him but he was scared of what Hugo would think of him once he found out why Varian always wore his gloves. He'd been hoping that the gardens would help distract him. But even though the flowers and plants were beautiful under the moonlight it wasn't helping him as much as he had hoped it would.

He sat down on the ground under a large tree. He lowered his head and his bangs fell in front of his face coming undone from it's slicked back style. He grunts in frustration, futilely attempting to place them back on top of his head. He hates his hair streak! It's just another reminder of what's wrong with him! 

He repeatedly attempts to put it on top of his head where he can't see it but it keeps falling every time. At this point he's given up, clutching his hair in his hands, gritting his teeth, squeezing his eyes shut.

When Hugo finds him he's shocked by the state Varian's in. He sits in front of the other boy, gently taking his hands in his own and lowering them away from Varian's hair.

"Var? Are you ok? Was it something I said? What happened?"

"I just hate this stupid curse!" Varian yells out of nowhere.

"Curse? What curse?" Hugo is genuinely confused. Varian's never mentioned a curse before.

Varian takes a deep breath. He's already said it, he can't take it back now. Might as well just tell Hugo now before he hurts him.

"My parents never told me how it happened but when I was younger I was cursed. Now black rocks show up anywhere I am. They respond to me. I want to get rid of them but I just don't know how because my dad has forbidden me from experimenting with my powers and the rocks. That's why I wear the gloves. They block out most of my powers. I'm just so scared that I'm going to hurt someone. It's also why I have this blasted hairstripe. My cousin Eugene says that before I was cursed my hair was just black."

Hugo took a second to process all of this new information. "Why- why didn't you tell me? I could've helped you. If nothing else I would've given you moral support."

"You…. You aren't scared of me?"

"What? No. Of course not. Why would you think that?"

"Everyone else is." Varian whispered, wrapping his arms around himself. "They act like I'm a monster. What if they're right?"

"No, Varian they're wrong! You aren't a monster! You're an amazing, wonderful person! Var I think I'm in love with you!"

Varian's eyes widened at the last part. "Really?"

"Yes!"

"I think I'm in love with you too." Varian admitted a little shyly.

There was silence for a minute before Hugo spoke up again.

"Do you hate the gloves?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to take them off?"

Varian hesitated a second before responding, " Yeah."

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course!"

"Close your eyes and give me your hand."

Varian slowly did as he was told. With his eyes closed he could feel Hugo grab the edge of his glove. He had an idea of where this was going but didn't stop the older boy. A few seconds later he felt the uncomfortable fabric of his glove leave his hand. Varian nearly cried when he felt Hugo intertwine their fingers. He didn't think he'd react like that. He didn't realize just how touch starved he was until now. The feeling of skin on skin contact was amazing!

"Is this ok? You look like you're about to cry. I can put it back on if you want."

"No! No, please! I love it!"

Unfortunately, the glove had to be put back on Varian's hand when black rocks started emerging out of the ground around them.

"I understand now." Hugo said. "I understand why you were so desperate for my help. We will find a way to get rid of your curse! I know we will!"


	5. Day: 5 Group Exploring (Fairytale, Adventure)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took way longer than I thought it would to finish so I'm sorry that it's late. 3,710 words guys! It's crazy!
> 
> Anywho, this is from my Dragon Prince AU!
> 
> Fun fact; This was the very first au I ever made! 
> 
> I'm really excited to share this with all of you!
> 
> TW: violence, blood, kidnapping

Varian threw himself down on his bed. The mattress shifted to accommodate his weight. The young moonshadow elf was not in a great mood.

"Hey hairstripe. You good?"

Varian looked towards his bedroom door to see an older moonshadow elf standing in the doorway. His brother Eugene. Well, kind of a brother. Their dads - Edmond and Quirin - were both a part of the Dragon Guard. Eugene's mom - Thalia - was the leader of their village. When Ulla died years ago, Varian hadn't had anywhere to go. He couldn't live with his dad at the Storm Spire at such a young age. It was too dangerous. So Thalia took Varian in. He's been living with Thalia and Eugene ever since.

"Oh, yeah I'm fine. Just being pressured into being an assassin again!" Varian hid his head in his pillow again. "Can't anyone around here take a hint! I don't want to go around killing people all my life!"

Eugene sat on the bed next to his little brother, rubbing his back comfortingly. "I know bud. I'm so sorry."

Varian sat up so he could lean into Eugene's side. "I learned magic when they wanted me too! And I mean, I like illusion magic just fine but why do I have to be an assassin too? I hate all of this pressure to be something I'm not!"

Eugene was about to respond when there was a commotion outside of Varian's window. It sounded like lots of people were upset about something.

"What's going on out there?" Varian asked.

"I'm not sure. Let's go check it out."

Once they were outside they saw a crowd of moonshadow elves near the village entrance. Thalia was standing near the front. She seemed to be caught in the middle of trying to calm her people down. The area was so crowded that the two boys couldn't even tell what everyone was looking at.

"What's happening?" Eugene asked a nearby elf.

"Two skywing elves got through the protection illusion around the village." The elf responded worriedly.

Eugene and Varian exchanged a look of shock before pushing through the crowd to reach the front. When they got there they could see that there were indeed two skywing elves at the entrance.

One was a 19 year old boy with wings, glasses, and blond hair. The other was a 16 year old brown skinned girl, with yellow eyes. The boy's eyes were closed, his wings dragging on the ground. He looked exhausted. The girl had to hold onto him to keep him from falling over.

"Please! Someone help us!" The girl pleaded.

The crowd was yelling.

_"They must be spies!"_

_"How'd they get through the spell?"_

_"How can we know if we can trust them?"_

_"They could be trying to trick us!"_

The boy skywing elf fell to the ground.

"Hugo!" The girl called in alarm. She bent down next to him.

Hardly thinking about what he was doing, Varian ran over to them, kneeling by Hugo's side. "Is he ok? What's wrong with him?"

"He's exhausted. He flew us all the way here." She paused before continuing, "I'm Nuru."

"I'm Varian. How did you get through the barrier? Only moonshadow elves know how."

"My girlfriend is a moonshadow elf. She taught me the key. Her name is Amber. She and Hugo's mom - Donella - were taken by a dark mage. We came here to try and find help."

"Amber? She's my cousin! She left the village a few years ago. I haven't seen her since. Come on. Let's get him somewhere more comfortable."

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

It had been a few hours since Hugo and Nuru had arrived at the village. Varian had led them to Thalia's house and let Hugo sleep in his bed for a while. Once Hugo woke up, he, Nuru and Varian talked. Varian expressed his desire to help them find his cousin and Hugo's mom.

The three formed a plan. Since the village was still suspicious of the two skywing elves it would be best if they left as soon as possible. But they also needed supplies. They decided to leave that night and that Varian would gather as much food as he could before they left.

Varian found a few satchels around the house and quietly stuffed them with as much food as they could hold. He didn't know how long they'd be on the road and they needed to be prepared. Half way through he was interrupted by someone clearing their throat.

"And what do you think you are doing young man?" Thalia asked, crossing her arms.

"I'm leaving. I'm going to help them and you can't stop me." Varian resumed his task.

"I know. I'm not going to stop you. But you better not think you can leave without saying goodbye."

He was surprised. He expected her to stop him. To say he was too young. That he shouldn't go. But she didn't.

"I just wanted you to know that we will always be here when you return. I promised your dad I'd protect you but I can see now that it's time for you to go out on your own." She started helping him fill the bags.

When he joined up with Nuru and Hugo later he knew he was as ready as he'd ever be.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

A week. They'd been searching for a week and they still couldn't find that wretched dark mage that had kidnapped Donella and Amber. Nuru looked down at their map in frustration.

"Guys. I think we're lost."

"Really? I couldn't tell." Hugo deadpanned.

"Maybe we should try to find a village. It would help us figure out where we are." Varian suggested.

"That's a great idea except for the fact that we're in the middle of the forest. Or supposed to be." Nuru pointed out.

_"Hey!"_ A young voice called out.

"Did you hear that?" Varian asked.

_"Cut it out!"_

"There it is again." Hugo said.

"I think it's coming from over here!" Nuru ran off to their left and the two boys followed her.

It didn't take them long to find the source of the voice. A 12 year old sunfire elf was being pushed around by two other boys much older than him.

He tried to perform a spell but it was very weak and didn't do much. The two older teenagers laughed.

"Is that all you can do?"

"No wonder your name is Baby!"

"No it's not! It's Yong!"

One of the older teenagers went to push him down again but Varian acted fast. He created an illusion just behind the young boy. A giant spider-like creature. The two bullies ran in fear.

Yong turned to see the other three come towards him.

"Are you okay?" Nuru asked.

"Yeah I'm fine thanks to you guys."

"It was Varian and his crazy illusion." Nuru gestured to the moonshadow elf.

"It was nothing. I'm just glad you're okay." Varian said rubbing the back of his neck with his hand.

"What did those guys want anyway?" Hugo asked.

"Oh them? They're just jerks." Yong responded. "Thanks for the help though! Where are you guys going?"

"If you could point us in the direction of the nearest town that would be great." Varian responded. "We're kinda low on food and a little lost."

"Sure! In fact I can just take you there myself!"

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

A month. It had been a month since they had met Yong. After he'd taken them to his village to stock up on food he had joined their group. Once he had found out what they were doing out there he had wanted to help too. He didn't know either of the people they were looking for but it hadn't mattered. He was just willing to help the three other teenagers who had helped him. It had taken a little while to get used to having someone else there with them.

Also by this point Nuru and Yong had noticed something different about the way Hugo and Varian interacted. At night when they all settled down to sleep the two would lay much closer to each other than they did before, and by morning Hugo's wings would be wrapped around Varian. But when they woke up Hugo would blush and apologize. It was almost like there was a part of him that was acting on these new feelings for Varian while he was asleep. Whenever their hands brushed against each other they'd blush and pull away.

It was starting to get ridiculous and Nuru just wanted them to spit it out already. So that night when they set up camp she put a plan into action.

"Ok, tonight you two are going to go collect the fire wood together! And while you're at it you're going to talk about whatever this is that's going on between you! Please get this gay mess sorted out before you get back because it's starting to drive me nuts!" With that, Nuru literally pushed them off into the forest.

Varian stumbled a bit when she pushed him, sending a glare in her direction. With a sigh, Hugo just pulled on his arm and started walking, Varian having no choice but to follow.

They walked in awkward silence for a bit, Varian picking at the palm of his hands as Hugo collected the firewood.

Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore. "Hugo?"

"Hm?" The sky elf didn't even look at him.

Varian pursed his lips, looking for something to say. Hugo may have been content to ignore him but Varian wasn't. "Should we… talk about it?"

"About what?" Hugo asked, purposefully walking ahead of Varian. "There's nothing to talk about."

Varian stared at him. "N-nothing to talk about?" He said, more than a little offended. "So, all the fleeting glances, holding my hand, cuddling with me at night? None of it meant anything?"

Hugo stopped walking and sighed. "Look Varian, I-"

"No. No, that's fine." Varian clenched his jaw and knocked his shoulder into Hugo’s as he passed him. "Yeah, that's fine. Stupid of me to think that you felt anything for me."

Hugo pursed his lips. "Varian please."

"Please what?" Varian hissed, turning around to face him. "Please don't be mad that you basically led me on? Hugo I'm not stupid. Everything that's been happening between us has to mean something."

Hugo glanced to the side, searching for something to say. "I… Varian…" he sighed, wrapping his arms around himself. "It's complicated."

"Complicated?" Varian scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Right. It's so complicated. So you just… don't feel anything for me then? Is that it?"

Hugo looked at him. "I didn't say that."

"Then tell me."

"Varian I- I can't just-"

"It's not that hard Hugo, just tell me what's going on!"

_"I like you, Varian!"_

Time seemed to freeze. Varian stared at Hugo with shock.

After a moment of silence Varian spoke.

"See? Not that hard."

Hugo couldn't be mad at the way he smiled at him. Hugo playfully scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, well….. Yes, I like you, but this is the first time I've ever felt this way about anyone. I mean, I've had partners in the past but they never made me feel so happy around them before. So complete. I just didn't want to mess anything up."

"Mess it up? What did you think you were going to mess up?" Varian took a step closer.

Hugo hesitated before answering. "Nothing. Nevermind. It doesn't matter anymore." He turned away again, bending over to pick up some of the larger sticks littering the ground.

"Hugo, if it's making you this upset it's obviously not 'nothing'. Please I want to help you, but I can't if you don't tell me what's wrong."

Hugo sighed as he stood back up to his full height, hesitating again before answering. "Every other time I've been with someone they just…. leave me. They didn't care about me the way I thought they did. There must be something I'm doing that's driving them away, but I just don't know what it is. How do I know that I won't drive you away too?" His wings had been dropping down while he was talking, and as he finished they grazed the forest floor beneath them.

Varian gasped silently. Out of all the things he was expecting Hugo to say, that wasn't one of them. "I'm not going anywhere. If there's something you do that bothers me I'm going to talk to you about it, not abandon you. I never want to hurt you that way. I'm sure it wasn't your fault that they left. They just weren't smart enough to see how amazing you are. You deserve so much more than that."

When Hugo didn't react, Varian walked up behind him and wrapped his arms around Hugo's waist, leaning his forehead on the base of his neck. Hugo's breath hitched in his throat. He couldn't remember the last time someone had held him like this. He could feel the tension leaving his body, wings still droopy but not nearly as much. He practically melted in the other boy's arms.

"I know that you've been hurt in the past, but I want to help you move past it. We can go as slow as you want, but isn't it worth a try? I really do love you and I would never just abandon you!"

Varian's breath on the back of his neck sent pleasant chills through Hugo. His wings brushed up against Varian's arms. Varian would never get over how the feathers felt on his skin. They were fluffy and soft. They stayed like that for a while longer, until Hugo turned to face Varian, taking his hands in his own.

"Ok, I want to try."

The moon elf gave him a gentle smile.

To say Nuru was relieved when the two boys returned holding hands would be an understatement. She had been starting to worry that her plan wasn't as genius as she first thought it was.

The rest of the night neither boy wanted to leave the other's side. So they cuddled by the fire together until it was time for bed. And when Hugo woke up the next morning with his wings once again around his new boyfriend he wasn't nearly as embarrassed as he was before.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

It had taken another two weeks but the group finally found the dark mage and the two elves they'd been searching for. The four teenagers were hiding in a bush looking in on the cave where they could see Amber and Donella chained up in handcuffs against the wall and a human peering down at some sort of book, mixing up the ingredients for some sort of dark spell. Disgusting.

At least Amber and Donella seemed physically ok, though. That was a relief. Why they hadn't been hurt was a mystery but a miracle all the same.

"Ok Moonflower. What's the plan?" Hugo whispered, looking over to his boyfriend.

"Um, ok. Well…. As much as I hate it, I think we're going to have to split up. Hugo and Yong go around the side and free Amber and Donella, Nuru and I will use our magic to distract him. Hopefully we won't have to actually fight, because we don't know how strong his dark magic is."

"Be as quick as you can guys. I don't know how long it'll take for him to figure out what's happening." Nuru warned.

Yong gave a thumbs up.

Hugo noticed Varian picking at his hands, eyebrows furrowed, and biting his lip. "Hey," he placed his hands on both sides of the younger's face. "We're going to be ok."

Varian leaned into Hugo's touch and took a deep breath. "Yeah, ok. Just… please be careful?"

"Of course."

The sky elf's eyes darted from Varian's eyes, down to his lips, and they both leaned in slowly until their lips were locked together in a sweet kiss. When Hugo hesitantly pulled away, Varian briefly continued to lean in before opening his eyes. He wasn't ready. He didn't want this moment between them to end.

"We won't move in until you guys start with the distraction. Be safe."

"We will."

With that, Hugo and Yong crawled a few feet away, ready and waiting for their cue.

"You ready?" Nuru asked, softly.

"Not really, but we don't really have a choice."

Nuru quickly squeezed her friend's hand before pulling away again to start to cast her spell. Varian followed her lead and did the same. The moon elf created a large monster in the clearing between their hiding spot and the cave. Meanwhile, Nuru created a large gust of wind so strong that it blew over the human's bowl of gruesome ingredients. Hugo and Yong took this as their cue and started to go around the other side.

This definitely got the dark mage's attention and he was visibly startled to see the beast at the entrance to the cave, turning away from the two in chains and providing the perfect opportunity for Hugo and Yong to slip in undetected. Hugo got to work picking the locks on the handcuffs, while Yong kept watch to make sure that they weren't seen.

The dark mage cast some sort of spell that created wolves made of smoke. The elves visibly cringed when the human's eyes became overwhelmed in black and the undecipherable chanting filled the air.

Three wolves made of smoke charged the illusion. Varian hastily made it dodge the attack. The wolves lunged at it from all sides, armed with teeth and claws that could do real damage. The first wolf to jump at it passed right through it. Varian's illusions weren't tangible.

"Elves!" The human growled, realizing the magic being used against him.

_Click!_ Amber was free. Hugo moved onto freeing Don.

"Nuru, do something!" Varian whisper yelled.

Nuru quickly drew a rune in the air, saying the trigger word, and blowing with all her might. A strong gust of wind blew the wolves away. Unfortunately, she also ended up giving away their hiding spot.

The human stalked towards them. The two tried to scramble away, but they didn't get very far before he raised his wrist in front of him, casting another spell. Before they could react, his snake bracelets became animated, transforming into chains and wrapping themselves around Varian and Nuru's arms and legs. They were stuck.

_Click!_ Donella was free!

"You know I planned this from the start." The human taunted. "When those two skywings witnessed me capturing the other two, I knew that you'd try to find them. All I had to do was keep them alive a little longer and wait until you got here. Now I have two times the resources to work with!" He laughed maniacally.

He was almost upon them when something collided with him from behind. The force making him stumble. He turned around and found himself face to face with Hugo. His wings fluffed up to make him look bigger and crouched in a fighting stance. No one messes with his boyfriend and gets away with it.

Amber, Yong, and Donella rushed over to Varian and Nuru, helping them get free from the chains as Hugo attacked the dark mage. The sky elf didn't really have much of a plan, other than keep him busy enough that he can't cast any spells. He took to the air, diving towards him repeatedly.

It worked for a while. Nuru and Varian were almost free. Hugo was pulling back up again when the human pulled out a knife and swiped at him.

At the last second the knife was embedded into Hugo's left wing. An excruciating pain shot through the appendage. He cried out in pain and crashed on the hard forest floor.

"Hugo!" Varian yelled.

It hurt. It hurt so bad. He'd never experienced this level of pain before, let alone in his wings. Hot tears streamed down his face, screaming in agony.

The dark mage ripped the knife out of the wing, injuring it even further. He towered over him. Prepared to kill him.

Nuru's hands were freed now. Hurriedly she drew a jaggad rune in the air, lightning sparking over her fingertips as she cast it at the human. He fell to the ground unconscious.

Varian's legs were finally free. He rushed to kneel next to his boyfriend but not sure what to do to help. Donella was right behind him. The moon elf nearly passed out at the sight of the wound. His hemophobia almost getting the better of him.

"Help! Help me! Please!" Hugo's words were broken by sobs.

"Hugo! Please be ok! You're going to be ok! I promise!" Varian could feel tears welling up in his own eyes too.

"Does anyone know any healing magic?" Donella pleaded.

"I-I know a little." Yong volunteered. "It's not super powerful but it should at least close the wound."

Everyone watched in anticipation as Yong drew a yellow rune in the air, muttering a draconic phrase. The magic flowed through the air and into Hugo. The wound did indeed close, preventing it from being infected, and decreasing the pain he was experiencing. The feathers surrounding it were still broken and covered in blood and a few were missing but Hugo seemed to be doing at least a little bit better.

"It's not fully healed, so he'll have to rest and avoid using his wings for a while, but he'll be back to normal in a few weeks. Maybe a month." Yong explained.

"Yes sir, doctor Yong." Hugo wearily jokes.

"Ok, now that that's resolved." Amber turned to Varian. "What are you doing out here? Aren't you supposed to be back home right now?"

"Long story." Varian rubbed the back of his neck with his hand.

"And you!" Amber fully turned Nuru. "That was really hot."

Nuru rolled her eyes with a grin as Amber pressed her lips to her girlfriend's.

Yong made a fake gagging noise.

The two girls parted and Amber wrapped her arm around Nuru's shoulders.

"Oh shut up kid! She's my girlfriend and she just kicked some serious butt! She totally deserves kisses after all that!" Amber playfully scolded.

"As if you needed a reason," Nuru said.

"Oh shut up."

"Make me!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge shout out to HoneyxMonkey for helping me write the confession scene! You're truly amazing and this fic wouldn't be the same without you!
> 
> I'll be honest I'm not 100% satisfied with the ending but that's as good as it's gonna get. I might try rewriting the end at some point but we'll see.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this regardless!
> 
> The next chapter should be out soon but I have no idea when.
> 
> Bye until then!


	6. Day 6: Modern AU

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had so many ideas for this prompt and eventually decided to go with this one.
> 
> Hugo = senior (18)
> 
> Varian = junior (17)
> 
> Amber and Nuru = sophomores (15)
> 
> And Yong isn't in this one because he's in 6th grade (11)
> 
> There is one little use of h - e - double toothpicks but that's it.

Varian couldn't believe what he was seeing! He'd been on his way to leave the school at the end of the day, when he came face to face with something he never even imagined he'd see.

A pretty blond haired girl was all over _his boyfriend_! Hugo was being pressed against the lockers, and she was gripping his chin. While Varian couldn't see Hugo's face from the angle he was at, the girl, Diana, was really getting into it, aggressively making out with Varian's boyfriend!

Varian's stomach churned violently. Bile rose in his throat. He…. He couldn't look. He couldn't watch this anymore! He turned and ran down the hall in the opposite direction, tears streaming down his face. He could hear Hugo calling after him but he didn't stop.

As he ran, thoughts invaded his head. _Was Hugo cheating on him? Did he even love him anymore? Had he ever loved him?_

He wasn't even sure where he was going, just that he had to get as far away as he possibly could. He didn't even fully realize what was going on around him. He nearly crashed straight into a very confused and very concerned Nuru. Thankfully, she'd seen him coming and moved out of the way in time.

Nuru's eyes widened as one of her best friends ran right past her. She hardly ever saw Varian _cry_! Whatever just happened must've been really serious. She had a really bad feeling that it might've been something to do with Hugo. Her suspensions were confirmed when she spotted said blond boy running in her direction.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Diana was, unfortunately, pretty strong. Hugo pushed against her continuously, finally managing to get away from her. It was just in time to see his boyfriend run the other direction.

"Varian! Please, wait! It's not what it looks like!"

But Varian didn't stop. Dread filled Hugo's stomach. He knew exactly what that must've looked like to Varian. He started going after the ravenette, but Diana grabbed onto his arm, effectively jerking him to a stop.

"Oh, let him go _Boo_. You're too good for him." She condescendingly said.

Hugo's blood boiled. He hated when she called him that, especially since they weren't together anymore, but she kept doing it regardless. How he'd _ever_ been attracted to her he had no idea. Feeling her grip loosen a bit he jerked his arm out her grip.

"Stay out of my life!" He yelled at her.

Taking his chance, he ran after his boyfriend. He was running in the general direction he'd seen Varian go until he was stopped by a severely pissed off Nuru.

"What the hell did you do?" She demanded. "Varian just barreled through here not even five minutes ago! He's an absolute mess! What did you do?"

"Nuru, please, I know this looks bad, but this is just a huge misunderstanding! I promise! Please help me find Varian so I can explain! Please? I have to tell him!"

Nuru hesitated for a second before walking in the direction Varian had gone. "Come on, I think I know where he might be."

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Amber had been reading a book about inventing in the library when Varian barreled past her to the back wall. She'd only briefly caught a glimpse of his distraught face but something told her he wasn't here to check out a book. She quickly slipped her bookmark in its place and followed after her cousin.

When she found him he was sitting against the wall, knees up to his chest, face buried in his arms, and breathing unevenly. She sat down next to him, rubbing his back to try and help calm him down.

"V? What's wrong?"

He didn't answer or even look at her, he just kept crying.

They stayed like that together for a few minutes until she noticed Hugo standing not far away, rubbing his arm guiltily, and looking at her and Varian. She looked from Hugo to Varian and back again. Slowly she got up and walked past Hugo out of the library, giving him an "I'm watching you" gesture as she walked away.

Once Amber was gone Hugo got a little closer to Varian, standing in front of him.

"Var?"

Varian jolted at the sound of Hugo's voice, looking up at him with uncertainty. "Go away." Varian's voice was strained.

"Please hear me out. That wasn't what it looked like. I promise it wasn't. Just let me explain? Please?" Hugo pleaded.

"Wouldn't you rather be with your new girlfriend?" Varian asked dejectedly.

"Varian she's not my girlfriend and I would never cheat on you!"

"Oh yeah? Then who is she? Because _normally_ people in relationships don't kiss random girls from their class!" Varian lashed out.

"Varian! She's my ex! She's been trying to get me back ever since I broke up with her. Unfortunately, she can't take no for an answer."

Varian's mouth fell open slightly. "Wait. So you… you didn't cheat on me?"

Hugo sat down next to Varian, and gently grabbed his hand, running his thumb over his knuckles. "No, of course not. I would never do that to you. She forced herself onto me."

"So…. So you still love me?"

"Of course I still love you! I love you more than anyone! I try to avoid her as much as I can but she caught me off guard, pushed me into the lockers and started kissing me. I'm sorry that you had to see that."

"It…. Well, it's not ok. It really hurt! It still hurts! Hugo this… this isn't something I can just forget about. I just keep seeing it over and over in my head."

"That's understandable. Your feelings are valid. I don't want to just brush over this like it's no big deal. It is and you're so important to me. I'll make it up to you! I want you to be comfortable…. Maybe…. Maybe we should slow down. We shouldn't rush into our relationship. We're teenagers and we have plenty of time to ease into all that stuff."

Varian gave him a gentle smile. "Ok, yeah, I think that'd be best. I just need some time to myself."

"Ok. I'll be here for you when you're ready. I love you."

"I love you too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to DetectivePop for pre-reading this and giving me some advice for the final scene!


	7. Day 7: Free Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a free day huh? Welp guess you get a Soulmate AU today! I thought I'd give it a try.
> 
> Also we're gonna do Hugo's POV because I don't seem to do that a lot. Oops.
> 
> Anyways I hope you like it!

Hugo fidgeted nervously with his ponytail. It should be happening any minute now right? He turned on his phone, checking the time.

**_11:55 pm_ **

5 more minutes and then he'd be 18. And his soul mark would appear, counting down the days until he met his soulmate. Donella had gone to bed long ago and encouraged him to do the same but he just couldn't sleep. Not when he was about to know when he'd meet the love of his life!

_**11:56 pm** _

He wondered what they'd be like. The anticipation was killing him! But in the end he knew that no matter who his soulmate was they were destined for each other.

_**11:57 pm** _

Donella was excited for him too of course but she was scared he'd be disappointed. She'd never found her soulmate. Whoever they were had died before they'd even met. The splotch on her wrist over where her soul marks had been was her only clue that she'd never find them.

_**11:58 pm** _

He casted a quick glance at his left wrist where his soulmate's name had always been permanently written on his skin.

Varian Ruddiger Jordan.

He couldn't wait to meet him! 

_**11:59 pm** _

Hugo held his breath, holding his right wrist out in front of his face. Waiting…. _Waiting_ ….

_**12:00 am** _

…

Nothing? Not even a year? Where was it? Wasn't it supposed to show up once he turned 18? That's how Don always said it worked.

He sighed sadly, throwing himself down on his bed. He gave one last cursory glance at his wrist with Varian's name on it.

Wait! Was that what he thinks it is? It was! A set of numbers was written out across the inside of his wrist underneath Varian's name.

_**1 yr/6 m/5 d** _

This was it! He just had to wait another year and a half and then he'd meet the love of his life!

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

_Loneliness_

_Fear_

_Pain_

_Grief_

_A dark room. Quiet except for the sobs that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once._

_Hugo occasionally had dreams like this. Ones where he would get a peek into his soulmate's life. Varian's memories._

_He had never seen him. Couldn't touch him. Couldn't talk to him. Couldn't comfort him. All he could do was listen to his voice. And right now he could hear his soulmate crying his eyes out._

_"She's gone. She's…. She's dead. She's never coming home." Varian whispered._

_Hugo's mouth fell open. Dead? Who's dead?_

_"Varian I know this is hard but you need to be strong. It's been a month. It's time to move forward with our lives. It's what she would've wanted." An older man's voice rang out in the memory._

_Hugo didn't have enough information about this mystery person to know their relationship with his soulmate but he showed up in the memories often enough that he must be important to Varian._

_"Don't you get it? My mom is gone! Just leave me alone! I just wanna be alone."_

_The sound of a door closing echoed around him. The sobbing continued sounding in the vast expanse of empty space._

_He sounded so young, like he was just a little kid. He'd experienced other dreams before where Varian sounded much older. How long ago was this?_

_"I-I miss you momma."_

_Hugo's heart ached. He wished he could hold him, comfort him, reassure him that everything would be ok, but he couldn't._

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

Days turned to weeks, which turned to months, and the day of them finally meeting was getting closer.

Hugo had many more dreams about Varian during this time. Like the one where he'd found a stray cat and brought it home, and given it his own middle name of all things. Or the ones where his dad was in the hospital for several months. Out of all of them though, the worst ones were the one's with Andrew in them. He hates having to listen to that scumbag manipulate his soulmate.

Also as their meeting got closer the dreamscape where he listened to Varian's memories had started changing too. It was no longer just a dark room. Instead it was an apple orchard. He loved laying in the soft grass, sun on his face, listening to Var talk about his day.

He learned a lot about him just by having these dreams. For example he learned that Varian's a scientist and an engineer and he has a soft spot for animals, especially that rascal of a cat he brought home off the streets. Hugo couldn't wait to actually meet him though and the day for that was fast approaching.

He looked down at his wrist again.

_**4 m/17 d** _

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

_**0** _

Today was the day! Hugo was seated at a table in the cafe, scanning the gathered crowd of people for anyone who could possibly be his soulmate. Varian was a boy so he skipped over all the girls in the shop. The problem however was that he really had no idea what Varian looked like.

"Coffee for Hugo!" The barista shouted over the noise of the busy shop's patrons.

He sighed getting up from his chair and making his way up to the front. With it being a Saturday morning though, it was pretty crowded and loud. He grabbed his drink, thanked the lady behind the counter, and turned to leave.

He didn't make it further than five steps before someone bumped right into his chest. The cup had been squished between them and splattered it's hot contents all over their shirts.

"I am so sorry! I wasn't watching where I was going!" The person apologized.

"Oh it's… fine." Hugo assured him.

Hugo looked at the young man's face for the first time and lost his breath. He was beautiful! Bright blue eyes, tanned skin, soft raven hair with a streak of blue, and he stood about a head shorter than him.

"Are you sure? I can buy you another one! It's the least I can do."

His voice. It was so familiar.

"Do… do I know you?" Hugo asked.

The ravenette seemed to be examining his face more now.

"I… I don't think so. But, um, I'm Varian."

Hugo's eyes widened. "You don't happen to be Varian Jordan, are you?"

"Uh, yeah. And you are?"

Thoughts raced through Hugo's mind. This was his soulmate? What was he supposed to say? _'Hi, I think I'm your soulmate'_ didn't sound like a great option. So instead he just cut to the chase and showed Varian his wrist.

Varian gasped when he saw his name. "You're… you're Hugo Becker?" He asked, surprised.

"Yeah, that's me." Hugo stuck his hands in his pockets. "I hope you aren't… disappointed or anything."

"Disappointed?! No, never! Well, maybe a little embarrassed. Spilling your drink on your soulmate isn't exactly the best first impression." Varian rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "How about I get you a new drink? And maybe we can talk?"

"Yeah, that sounds great. Thanks."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, what do ya know? I finished all of prompts! Took me longer than I hoped it would but they're done!
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed these little fics and the one picture I drew.
> 
> Some of these fics will probably be expanded upon on a later date.
> 
> See you in the next one!


End file.
